SINGAPORE, Nov. 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Microsoft Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Satya Nadella visited Singapore today to experience first-hand how innovative technologies and insights are supporting the region's technology ecosystem of developers, startups and companies across every industry.

While speaking at a Microsoft Innovators event, Nadella met local and regional developers and business leaders, where he reinforced the digital imperative for every organization and how the Microsoft Cloud can foster innovation, create broad economic progress and help businesses grow in Asia.

"In a world of increasing headwinds, digital technology is the ultimate tailwind," said Satya Nadella, chairman and CEO, Microsoft. "It's fantastic to see first-hand the innovation taking place across Southeast Asia and how organizations across the region are applying the power of the Microsoft Cloud to do more with less."

Microsoft has operated in Asia for more than 35 years. The region is a hub of innovation and resourcefulness, with Asia expected to generate half of the world's GDP^[1] by 2050 and account for more than half of all R&D investments^[2] by 2030.

Nadella highlighted some of the ways Asian innovation is already transforming the lives of people locally and globally. He met with a number of innovators from across the region, including:

• Vulcan Coalition, a Thai organization creating new Artificial Intelligence (AI) services in Thai language to improve the quality of life of people with disabilities
• Priyanka Shah, a Singaporean developer, who is working to encourage employability with the Singapore Autism society and female developers throughout the region with AI and Power Platform certification
• The Singapore National Parks Board, which created a mobile application to help inspection officers quickly identify potential illegal shark and ray fin shipments
• Zuellig Pharma, which used a low-code platform for healthcare distribution to deliver medical supplies on time during the pandemic, and reduce supply chain error through automation
• Music Tribe, a global manufacturer of professional music equipment, recently redesigned and replaced its entire IT infrastructure by moving to the Microsoft Cloud.

Additional local announcements made today:

Microsoft opens Asia's first Datacenter Academy in Singapore with ITE 

In partnership with the Institute for Technical Education (ITE), Microsoft announced its first Data Center Academy in Asia to advance applied datacenter skills. The five-year commitment will empower some 300 ITE students with relevant technical skills needed for careers in the digital economy and thrive in a growing ICT sector.  

For more information: Microsoft opens Asia's first Datacenter Academy in Singapore with ITE - Singapore News Center

IMDA and Microsoft to accelerate development of sustainable software solutions

The Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) and Microsoft announced a collaboration to accelerate the creation of sustainable software solutions for industries in Singapore and around the globe. The two parties will jointly advance the implementation of principles, tools and frameworks for the development of sustainable software solutions that empower businesses to measure, track and report their carbon and optimize their resources more easily.

For more information: Singapore Advances Plans to Become a Leading Innovation Digital Sustainability Hub in Southeast Asia - Singapore News Center (microsoft.com)

To learn more about Satya Nadella's visit and how Microsoft is helping organizations throughout Asia innovate and do more with less, visit: https://news.microsoft.com/asia-visit-2022/

Note to editors: For more information, news and perspectives from Microsoft, please visit the Microsoft News Center at http://news.microsoft.com/. Web links, telephone numbers and titles were correct at time of publication, but may have changed. For additional assistance, journalists and analysts may contact Microsoft's Rapid Response Team or other appropriate contacts listed at https://news.microsoft.com/microsoft-public-relations-contacts. 

[1] An Economist's Guide to the World in 2050 - Bloomberg (2020)

[2] Global R&D investments unabated in spending growth - R&D World (2020)